A new light
by Shadowtigs
Summary: Black Doom finds that he can learn a lot from the newest addition to his ship.


It had been a long time since he had seen the world this way; too long some might say. Pressing his gloved hand against the glass it appeared as though he was touching the small blue orb with its green spots. Once visiting the planet had been his only dream but now the world was a source of his nightmares. Never considering himself a coward, the hedgehog felt no shame in admitting he had taken the first opportunity that had arisen to escape his life there; being a lab rat and slave for a militant government was no one's idea of a good life. However, back in the shadowed embrace of the stars as he had been when his life started, the Ultimate Lifeform began to wonder if that had been wise. Reflecting brought regret. Escape brought back the memories. The memories robbed him of sleep that he didn't truly need and drove him to the window of his new home. The window caused him to reflect on his past. Both on Earth and in space the past stalked him; refused to give up its grip on his life.

"What are you doing here Shadow?"

The voice snapped the midnight furred hedgehog from his reprieve and he jumped slightly at the sudden noise. He'd had no idea he was no longer alone.

"One of the perks of not having feet." He mused ruefully. Of course when the creature opposite could read his mind that did little good.

"If you had no feet you would not be able to race that idiotic rival of yours," The alien's three eyes were filled with amusement "though it would save my ship a great deal of damage every time he shows up."

Shadow arched a brow "Because I am perfectly safe when alone?"

His father shook his head "You singlehandedly destroyed my ship and you ask me that? Your stalling tactics are worsening Shadow."

Frowning, Shadow regarded his master "Doubtful, more likely you are starting to learn to see through them."

"It is plausible." Black Doom confessed before shaking his head again. "Enough Shadow, tell me why you are out here or I will search you mind for my own answer. Regardless I will find out, I am simply letting you choose to confide in me."

Slowly dark lids covered ruby eyes and Shadow sighed "I was taking a walk."

The other's trio of eyes narrowed and he sounded incredulous when he spoke "In the middle of the night?"

"We're in space," Shadow scowled "it's always night here."

Deciding to make good use of the appendages he did possess, the alien overlord crossed his arms "Do not play smart Shadow; I will not leave until you explain your actions."

Scowl deepening, Shadow narrowed his eyes at his newly discovered father "It's the same reason it always is!"

For a moment Doom floated, frozen. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the hybrid that stood before him and when he spoke his voice was filled with disgust "The human girl?"

"Maria." Came his son's hissed reply.

"How does one little girl have such a hold on you?" Despite the hatred and general disregard for humans that marred the alien's words; a note of genuine curiosity echoed in his voice "You are part of the greatest race in the universe; you bare my blood; you have saved a world and caused unimaginable destruction… why does the death of a single human matter so much? Why does she cause you such suffering if she cared for you like she claimed she did?"

Taken back, Shadow hesitated before speaking "She was my friend. She was my responsibility; I was meant to save her… I was never meant to be the reason for her demise. Maria was innocent to my purpose yet just knowing me sealed her fate."

"I can understand the pressure of responsibility Shadow," Doom began, warily watching the other's reactions to what he was saying "but sometimes others must fall for a greater cause; I sacrificed some of my soldiers in Central City for the sake of the rest of my race's continued survival… though their survival would have been preferable it would have been difficult to achieve and it was a price I wasn't willing to pay."

Carefully the hedgehog considered his next words "You don't know you soldiers, Master. You know of them; created them and ensured their survival certainly, but you never spent time with them alone. You couldn't tell one from the next; it's how you survive the things you have to do to protect your kind." Shadow paused for a moment "However, once you start putting names to faces; once they become individuals, their deaths are much harder to forget. When you know someone, know who'll miss them, whose lives it will affect, then death is never an easy concept to face. I watched Maria's loss destroy my creator; scar the life of G.U.N's commander, even set in motion the end of life on Earth. I can never ignore what her dying did to everyone around me; how it changed my own life… 50 years in stasis because she died; you can't tell me that her death did not matter."

"You should not bear the blame for it Shadow," His father frowned and something that could have been concern lingered in his tone "she would have without your creation. As you said you were meant to save her; she was dying regardless. Perhaps you should console yourself that you were something she enjoyed in her life; if you don't you will simply allow her death to affect even more as you bring the consequences into my home. If you do not then you will simply let your guilt ruin this life too."

"Why do all this?" The hybrid asked suddenly.

The alien's frown deepened, "what do you mean by that Shadow?"

"You never get to know your soldiers and yet here you are, in the middle of the night, trying to comfort me about my role in Maria's death." Ruby eyes stared at the other intently "what makes me different?"

His master laughed. "I don't suppose you've noticed Shadow but, you're rather 'unique' amongst my army; I certainly couldn't mistake you for one of my other children… Therefore distancing myself seems a pointless effort; if something were to happen to you I would know it and my feelings regarding you would impact my life regardless of whether we had spent time together or not," he smiled at his lost child "in other words Shadow, it is not worth the trouble of avoiding you. This seems to mean that I often I have time for your problems; your sulking here does me more harm than good. "

The hedgehog nodded. "I appreciate you coming to find me."

Again the alien laughed "Although if I could find a way to make you take my orders to heart as well as you took Gerald's word to look after that girl then I suppose it is a good way to invest my time… A tame Shadow would cause so much less trouble."

Smirking, Shadow strolled past his father, "If I did everything you asked My Lord then your army would be greatly out of practise."

Amused, the alien regarded the oddest of his brood "It seems we will have to disagree on the service you provide me with Shadow," Doom shook his head "aside from testing my ability to function without sleep."

Without turning around, Shadow replied. "You don't need sleep."

As he watched the hedgehog's retreating form, the alien lord found himself frowning "Seems he does listen to my lessons after all…" That meant the creation was simply causing chaos by choice "It seems I may have met the one creature who could give me a true challenge; provided I survive him being here of course."


End file.
